Next Labour Leader: Keir Starmer

[Woodface]

That was the best part of his speech. Certainly better than Corbyn's, "We told you so" riff.

Yes it was, I fully agree. At last we have a grown up in charge rather than a ‘different kind of leader’.

 

[droodzilla]

Just for clarity I’m certainly not trying to be gloaty! As a non-Labour voter I’d far prefer to see a Labour government to a Tory one, and I honestly felt that would never happen under Corbyn once we’d seen how catastrophically poor his leadership skills, and R L-B, who was kind of a ‘Nick Clegg’ by close association to that failure. I think out of the available candidates Starmer was by far the most electable, though I’m not convinced by Rayner as deputy.

Anyway, I feel the Labour Party is in a much stronger position today than it has been for at least three years, but Starmer has a lot of uphill work to do to really make it electable. I’ll be very interested to see his shadow cabinet selections...

No problem Tony, I wasn't referring to you. I don't share your faith in Starmer's electability (cards on the table he was my third choice) but I don't dislike him and I'm hoping for the best.

 

[Del monaco]

My first choice was Starmer, my second the ever more impressive Nandy and I don't need to mention the third.

 

[Seanm]

Yes it was, I fully agree. At last we have a grown up in charge rather than a ‘different kind of leader’.

I knew it.

 

[Woodface]

I knew it.

Of course you did, you know most things.

 

[Seanm]

Of course you did, you know most things.

I have a friend, a very important person, an expert, who tells me about stuff. But I suppose you know better than the experts!

 

[Woodface]

Can we rehash all the old arguments for the next 12 months. I think it will be useful for some people to be proved right even if it is to the greater detriment.

I hope Nandy gets some kind of meaningful role, I don’t necessarily think Starmer is the answer, just the best option at this present time.

I will continue to vote Labour & hope we have a chance in 5 years & that the country doesn’t go down the crapper in the interim.

 

[cooky1257]

Are you for real. Most of the PLP denounced Corbyn's anti-Jewish views. Starmer, for tactical reasons, which have in part led to his victory, did not hold Corbyn to account for his appalling views. I suspect he will now.

Please show your evidence of his appalling anti-jewish views and the denunciation from as you say most of the PLP.

 

[narabdela]

I think you’ll find Starmer will turn out to be an awful antisemite as soon as that becomes necessary.

That reminds me of the type of non ... er, stuff, you were posting on the Alex Salmond thread.

 

[Woodface]

I have a friend, a very important person, an expert, who tells me about stuff. But I suppose you know better than the experts!

That’s rather childish but I expect nothing better. It must be great to live in your world where you are so certain of your own righteousness.

Hardly a crime that I mix with some people who are clever.

 

[Seanm]

That reminds me of the type of non ... er, stuff, you were posting on the Alex Salmond thread.

Still feeling civic about that I see. Don’t wear out the purple man.

 

[Seanm]

That’s rather childish but I expect nothing better. It must be great to live in your world where you are so certain of your own righteousness.

Hardly a crime that I mix with some people who are clever.

This literally couldn’t be any prissier.

 

[gavreid]

We lost. PS we are 25% currently.

Yes we're all paying a heavy price for Labour caving into the Remain agenda

 

[matthewr]

Again, his own views are completely irrelevant. If it becomes useful to attack him on these grounds then that’s what will happen.

What if he actually was an anti-semite?

 

[thebigfredc]

In the 2017 election, Labour had its biggest increase in vote share in 70 years. Labour is also now the largest party of the left in Europe. All of that is down to Corbyn. I predict that we'll see a sharp decline in Labour membership and widespread disillusionment in the party once again

My question to you is would you prefer your predictions to come to pass or would you prefer a centrist Starmer to beat BJ IN 2024?

 

[Mick P]

From a Tory perspective this is bad news. Corbyn was a gift from God, the man had zero leadership ability, was a lousy Parliamentary performer, totally indecisive, surrounded himself by other fruitcakes such as John McDonnell and Diane Abbot and failed to solve the anti Semitic problem and consequently led the Labour party to its worse election result since 1935. He was totally incompetent and should have gone after the last election. The best thing he can now do is to self isolate in his allotment and stay there.

Starmer may have his faults but he is light years ahead of anyone else in the LP and the right decision was made. Hopefully there will now be some sort of effective opposition (which every government needs) but the LP is still lumbered with cartloads of fruitcake lefties who are now going to be even more vocal than before which will bring the LP into disrepute.

Boris recognises that he was only "lent" the vote in the last election by the constituencies that swung to the Tories so the seduction of those voters will soon begin as we want them to become lifetime Tories. Those who are in blue walled constituencies will begin to prosper far better than what they have in the past and even if we only keep half of them, the next election is in the bag.

Starmer has an almighty challenge on his hands, but right now, he is the best that Labour has got. The biggest test he faces is to rid Labour of its old cloth cap image and the rambling old lefties who place "better to be in perpetual opposition than sell our old principles of socialist purity". If that lot remain, Labour is dead in the water.

My own view is that those of us knocking seventy, will never see another Labour government again.

 

[Dave H.]

His anti-Jewish views are well documented. Google Dave Rich on twitter or watch this:

A video watermarked with the name of the director of an organisation called Oppose Corbynism? Nah, sorry, not going to bother with that. Anyway, this is just going back into unproductive old ground. I’ve said my piece.

My first choice was Starmer, my second the ever more impressive Nandy and I don't need to mention the third.

I actually think that Nandy could have been the best bet going forwards. All I can do (as a semi-outsider) is hope Starmer provides some good surprises.

 

[matthewr]

II supported Corbyn's policies and the way he changed the conversation about austerity - frankly no one else was going to do it at that time. I'm not remotely ashamed of that.

I'm willing to give Starmer the benefit of the doubt (always tried to be a broad church kinda guy and, by God, I would prefer any Labour government over a Tory one right now) but the gloaty, vindictive comments on this thread don't inspire confidence.

The reaction to Starmer from the non-Left seems odd to me. It's like they didn't actually listen to what he said and they are just doing a sort of dresses well + good education => Blair re-incarnated calculation.

PS I opposed austerity so much that I even bored myself on the subject. It was just a shame nobody of influence reads PFM

PPS I forgot I had joined the Labour party and didn't vote. I think this makes me not just a Centrist Enterist but a failed one. FWIW my main view was relief that Burgon didn't win as, despite being well meaning, he seems stupid enough to be in Johnson's cabinet.

 

[gavreid]

My question to you is would you prefer your predictions to come to pass or would you prefer a centrist Starmer to beat BJ IN 2024?

I always prefer a Labour government, but I want one that's going to deliver not just run the country in the interests of big business.

 

[Woodface]

This literally couldn’t be any prissier.

May I suggest you join a cycling club or similar when this is all over, mix with people who may have different views? Enjoy the rest of your day.